Will this be Lewis Hamilton's year? Or can Felipe Massa win in his hometown and -- with some luck -- be the World champion? These questions will be answered November 2, at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the last race on Formula 1’s calendar.

Brazilian Grand Prix

One of São Paulo's most important events, Brazilian Grand Prix receives an audience of about 70 thousand spectators (about 10% from other countries) and another 10 thousand people who work at the GP. According to FIPE (Foundation Institute of Economic Research), this event brings 62 million reais (about 30 million dollars) to the country.

Grande Prêmio do Brasil (Brazilian Grand Prix) takes place at Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The raceway is named after a Brazilian F1 driver, who died in 1977. The circuit is widely known also by its former name, Interlagos ("between lakes"), which is the name of the neighborhood where the circuit is situated. Inside, you can also find a kart circuit, named after the famous driver Ayrton Senna.

Interlagos held official F1 races from 1973 (the same year on which Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi won the GP) to 1980, when the city hall chose not to invest more money in the circuit. Then, from 1981 to 1989, Rio de Janeiro held the Brazilian Grand Prix, disputed on Jacarepaguá circuit. In 1989, São Paulo’s mayor Luiza Erundina decided to invest on the circuit, which was greatly improved and had its track reduced to 4325 m, accordingly to nowadays F1 standards. So Interlagos was, then again, made home of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

You can stay in a hotel at the Interlagos neighborhood or even at other nearby neighborhoods, like Morumbi and Campo Belo. But hurry up: most hotels get fully booked before the race, and it's the only time in the year when São Paulo's hotels charge more than the usual rates.

You can enjoy your stay in São Paulo by having great meals at our best restaurants and also having fun at nightclubs. Also, if you want to drive yourself (although the traffic is way better at the circuit), you can check out our list of car rental companies.